For those of you who dream of being Padma Lakshmi, this is the book for you to live vicariously through her. As she takes you on her travels throughout the United States, she has written a celebration of the culutres, peoples, and food that make up our country. Written with stories of travel and through here foodie eyes, this is a cookbook and a memoir rolled into one,

This wonderful cookbook not only serves as a delightfully practical cooking resource with its rich variety of easy-to-follow recipes befitting a wide array of preferences and tastes, but like the show it's based from, it does a fantastic job providing a snapshot of the incredible culinary wealth that has resulted from America's diversity. I also absolutely love the little historical and cultural knowledge tidbits scattered throughout many of the recipe introductions. "Padma's All American" is just an absolute gem - that, and also a valuable reminder that I need to get around to finishing "Taste the Nation."

I love the Taste the Nation show, and I knew I needed to get this cookbook. I wasn't disappointed. The pictures are beautiful accompaniments to a wide range of recipes that are written in easy to follow language while also conveying the heart and history behind each dish. I have many bookmarked and I can't wait to try my hand at them. The addition of individual stories - at the beginning of the recipes as well as portraits of different impactful figures - makes this feel like the scrapbook that the author calls it in the intro.